We have already been teased with reports of a draft
9/11 Commission report that reportedly avoids "partisan attacks" (kinda
late for that) yet rips the FBI and assorted Intelligence agencies for
assorted 'failures' that contributed to the 9/11 tragedies.

Former Navy Secretary and commission member John
Lehman said, "There's broad consensus that major changes are needed. This
is not just a question of running faster, jumping higher. We need to ensure
the fusion and sharing of all intelligence that could have helped us to
avoid 9/11."

There may be "broad consensus" on the need for change,
but no consonance on specifics of WHAT to change.

One recurring refrain is the creation of a domestic
intelligence agency to be modeled after Britain's MI5. Given the realities
of the 'war on terrorism', it is a bad idea to create a new monster government
bureaucracy.

MI5, collects, analyzes and disseminates intelligence
but has no law enforcement powers.

Creating such an agency would take time (we
don't have), effort (that could be better directed), and disrupt established
organizations (when we need to stay mission oriented).

It would be beaucoup expensive.

The learning curve would be horrific.

The 'territorial imperatives' of other established
intelligence initialed organizations would reinforce walls, barriers,
and systemic carcinogens at a time they need to be eliminated.

Another real bad idea kicking around is to expand
the already megaopoly of the Justice Department's FBI.

The FBI is an 'investigative' agency tasked
with building 'criminal' investigations of US Attorneys.

The skill set for FBI agents is similar but
different from the OCONUS CIA counterparts who are tasked with developing
and analyzing intelligence.

FBI Director Mueller told a House Appropriations
subcommittee that an independent domestic spy agency would have to duplicate
much of the expertise already in the FBI and harm what's become the
bureau's top priority: fighting terrorism. "Any reform proposal must
recognize that intelligence is fundamental to successful FBI operations,"
he said. "Intelligence functions are woven throughout the fabric of
the bureau, and any changes to this integrated approach would be counterproductive."

However, what Mueller fails to include in his analysis
is that the duplication of effort line also applies to the CIA
where intelligence functions are not just "woven throughout the fabric"
of the Agency, but IS the fabric of the CIA.

No one seems interested in synthesizing the complementary
skills and institutional knowledge of the CIA and the FBI?

A reasonable solution to the anticipated necessities
the 9/11 commission will identify may traumatize organizational management
wonks, and D.C. bureaucracy builders, but here it is:

2, 'Borrow' and recruit intelligence officers
and analysis assets from the CIA for the new directorate.

3, Co-mingle FBI criminal investigators
with CIA analysts under one mandate an honestly synthesize the two worlds.

The unfortunate reality is that in government more
attention, focus, and dedication are on the bureaucracy than on the mission.

An interesting historical counterpoint to contemporary
'turf wars' in government (and the 'reason' for that Jaime Gorelick enhanced
'wall' between the FBI and CIA) is the precursor to the CIA: The Office
of Strategic Services (OSS).

Once upon a time, when our country was faced with
the epic challenges of the Second World War, 'Wild Bill' Donovan was given
a mission…and the freedom and resources to create the OSS. In 1942 the
Office of Strategic
Services was new to our government and it became the cornerstone of
what eventually became the CIA and the military's Special Operations groups.

When the OSS was created J. Edgar Hoover got his
panties in a bunch. He considered it a threat to his bureaucracy building
at the FBI. But it WORKED. Eventually, President Truman shut down the
OSS after WWII but it became the outline in 1947 for the establishment
of the CIA.

"The failure to thwart the 9/11 catastrophe was
in part the result of the failure to communicate both internally and externally
about information collected by our intelligence agencies," Lehman said.
"Had there been effective use of the information, the possibility exists
the 9/11 plot could have been disrupted."

CIA spokesman Mark Mansfield said cooperation between
the CIA and FBI on counter terrorism has never been better. Cool! So build
on that…. The commission has attributed problems in part to the loose-knit
nature of the intelligence community, which didn't always cooperate because
CIA Director George Tenet lacked adequate authority. www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,122181,00.html

We ARE at war. We need to create intelligence tools
(and entities) which are Mission Oriented…not organizationally oriented.

If a committee of self-interested bureaucrats is
allowed to structure the new 'fix' to our pre-9/11 shortcomings, the inmates
will indeed have assumed management of the asylum.

We need to throw out old paradigms and permit the
'fix' to evolve from what is needed…not what some government institution
wants.

What we as a country need (like breath) is for some
grown up to recognize the imperative of synthesizing the talent, skills,
and ability of our existing initialied organizations, and utilize those
assets to fight the war…not get wrapped around some bureaucratic axle
of fitting square pegs in round holes.